I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multipurpose ratcheting wrench, and more specifically to a ratchet type wrench which is designed for use on fire hydrants, water meters, gas meters, and fire hose couplers. While the present invention is disclosed with regard to these primary functions, it will be understood that the wrench may be used for a variety of other functionally equivalent purposes.
II. Description of the Prior Art
When emergency service personnel, such as firefighters, are requested to perform services on an emergency basis, it is extremely important that they have at their immediate disposal all of the tools which would typically be required in the course of the normal emergency activities. In the specific case of a firefighter fighting a fire, a firefighter repeatedly performs activites which are so common that their occurrence can be predicted with great regularity. For example, any reasonable sized fire requires that the pumping engine be coupled to a fire hydrant to supply the required water. While many fire hydrants are relatively new and accessible to the fire fighting personnel, older fire hydrants have valve stems and cap nuts which have rounded edges or which have been reduced in size during refurbishing operation. Furthermore, many of the fire hydrants are not easily accessible to the firefighters because of the growth of adjacent bushes, the recent placing of fences or other obstructions nearby, and more commonly the accretion of soil around the base of the fire hydrant, all of which combine to reduce the clearance (or clear area) between the ground and the capped nut or valve stem.
The fire fighting personnel also must concern themselves with cutting off normal water service to the burning structure so that heat will not burst the water service pipes within the building which would result in a drastic drop in water pressure used in the fire fighting procedures. It is extremely important that the fire fighting personnel have immediate access to the main water service control valve for each structure so that it may be cut off at the earliest possible time. As with the case of the fire hydrants described above, many factors contribute to limit the access to the main water control valve, including the accretion or build up of soil, other obstructions such as fences, etc., and the oxidation and general deterioration of the material used in the valve stem.
Similar problems are faced by the fire fighting personnel in closing off natural gas lines, prying open valve cover doors (such as on water valves and gas valves) and impacting other tools or structural elements.
It is also important for the fire fighting personnel to be able to quickly and positively couple and uncouple the relatively large fire hose couplers. If each of these fire hose couplers are not sufficiently tightened, then the sequential leaks in a long length of fire hose may substantially reduce the water supply and water pressure available for fighting the fire. On the other hand, if the fire hose couplers are tightened too much, then it is difficult to disengage the couplers without damaging them. It is therefore important to have a tool which may be used to apply a controlled torque in tightening the fire hose couplers and which will not damage the couplers when they are disengaged.
The prior art has sought to solve these problems by creating separate tools with attributes suitable for each purpose. While this has been somewhat suitable in the past, the loss or nonavailability of certain tools in various instances has contributed to increased damages caused by the failure to timely cut off water, gas or other valves leading to the threatened structure. Experience has indicated to the present inventor that there is a strong demand for a multiple purpose tool which can be used by an experienced firefighter in order to accomplish each of these required tasks. The multiple purpose tool must combine sufficient elements and functional cooperations in order to accurately and reliably handle these requirements, while at the same time not unduly burdening the firefighter with the weight of multiple tools and the concomitant burden of storing the individual tools.
Warren in U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,625 discloses a wrench for servicing fire hydrants. The wrench includes an open end spanner wrench and a closed end wrench which is pivotally coupled thereto so that the operative openings of each wrench are generally coaxial with each other. In this manner the valve stem or cap nut of the fire hydrant may be inserted coaxially through both the open end and closed end wrenches, and then the operator may rotate the handle of the wrench so as to cause the open and closed end wrenches to couple around the stem in scissors fashion in order to provide a more secure grip on the stem. This complex wrench will operate in both directions, but the wrenches are located on a distended end of the handle which is extremely inconvenient. Also, the opposite end of the handle includes a spanner element for operating on fire hose couplings.
In cases where extensive torque is required in order to open the fire hydrant, the fireman must exert the additional torque directly upon the spanner element which could cause severe lacerations and injuries to the hands. It should also be noted that the wrench as disclosed by Warren is not suitable for rapidly opening the valve stems or cap nuts on the typical fire hydrant since the wrench as illustrated does not include a handle which can be rapidly rotated a full 360 degrees. In other words, the firefighting personnel must rotate the wrench approximately 180 degrees, and then release, and then regrip the handle of the wrench in order to complete the 360 degree rotation. Furthermore, the spanner wrench is too small for use on valve stems utilized on water meters, and thus the wrench would not be suitable in this application. On the other hand, the wrench is too large to fit into meter boxes so as to engage valve stems therein.
Meredith in U.S. Pat. No. 651,574 discloses an adjustable spanner wrench which includes an arcuate shaped surface and a closed end wrench pivotably coupled thereto. These two elements are movably coupled by the pivot such that when a valve stem, or other similar operative element, is inserted through the arcuate element when torque is exerted on the handle for either tightening or loosening the stem. It should be noted that this wrench operates only in one direction, since the exertion of torque in a direction opposite from the desired direction will not cause the closed end wrench to couple with the arcuate element in a fashion so as to clamp the valve stem therebetween. The handle of the wrench disclosed by Meredith is not suitable for rapid 360 degree rotation. Meredith utilizes a hexagonal opening in the wrench which in many cases is not suitable for use on fire hydrants.
Pollard, in U.S. Pat. No. 282,768, discloses a stud wrench of the type which would not be suitable for coupling with valve stems, cap nuts or other six-sided elements. The pivotal coupling between the closed end wrench and the arcuate face will allow the exertion of torque upon the operative element only in one direction, and therefore the wrench cannot be used for both opening and closing the stem on a fire hydrant. The operative elements of the wrench are included at a distended end thereof which is inconvenient for the reasons previously explained. The use of teeth on the arcuate surface would tend to destroy the valve stems and cap nuts on fire hydrants. The wrench is also not suitable for use in fire fighting applications because it does not include striking, prying, chiseling or driver elements nor does it include capabilities for manipulating with fire hose couplers.
Mason, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,380,822, discloses a somewhat improved version of the stud wrench of Pollard (above). The improvement disclosed by Mason primarily relates to the incorporation of a perpendicular handle coupled to the distended end of the main lever. This perpendicular handle allows the operator to make continuous 360 degree rotations of the wrench as required in fire fighting applications. However, as was previously discussed with Pollard, the wrench disclosed by Mason will exert torque only in one direction and is therefore not suitable for use on fire hydrants, etc.
Viau, in U.S. Pat. No. 668,467, discloses a pipe wrench which employs a closed end fitting which interacts with a surface of the torque shaft to rotate the pipe in either direction. This wrench includes at a distended end thereof a V-shaped element, which has one side which couples with the pipe for rotation in one direction, and a second side which couples with the pipe for rotation in the opposite direction. The closed end portion of the wrench includes an aperture therein for receiving the pipe therethrough as it is rotated in one direction. In contrast to the present invention, the pipe must be removed from within the aperture and placed adjacent to a claw on the outside surface of the closed end wrench when it is used for exerting torque in the opposite direction. The requirement to remove the turned element from within the aperture in order to reverse the direction of application of the torque is not well suited for fire fighting applications. The grooved jaws on the Viau device would destroy the valve stem of a fire hydrant and then would not be suitable for the present applications.
Bettman and Talkington, in U.S. Pat. No. 701,462, disclose a wrench which includes at a distended end thereof a closed loop for forcing the valve stem against an arcuate or flat portion of the distended end of the wrench as it is rotated. As with previous disclosures, this wrench is capable of exerting torque only in one direction and is therefore not suitable for most fire fighting applications.
Fromell, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,604, discloses a complex wrench similar to those previously discussed, except that two pivots are utilized for purposes of stabilizing the rotation of the closed end wrench about the distended end of the handle. While the wrench will exert torque in both directions, the small surface couplings between the distended end of the wrench and the valve stem would not make this wrench suitable for fire fighting application.
Pasbrig, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,456, discloses a complex torque wrench similar to those previously discussed except the distended end of the handle is pivoted so as to provide additional mobility and angular adjustments for specific application. The design of the nose and closed end sections of the wrench make it suitable only for the application of torque in one direction. Ross, in U.S. Pat. No. 384,592, discloses a combination tool which includes both a wrench and a screwdriver.
While each of these tools may be useful for the particular application to which it relates, none of these tools nor any combination thereof would be suitable for the specialized requirements as previously discussed with regard to fire fighting applications. In contrast to the prior art, the present invention envisions the use of a closed end wrench which will cooperate with the lever element in order to produce torque in either direction. The lever must be suitable for a 360 degree rotation of the valve stem as required in the rapid opening or closing of the fire hydrant. In this manner the fire fighter may utilize only one hand to operate the wrench, thus freeing the other hand for other duties. The present invention envisions an instant release of the valve stem from the wrench by merely rotating the wrench in the opposite direction from the torque previously exerted. The present invention also envisions the use of positive tightening of the closed end wrench toward the lever when torque is exerted in either direction. Furthermore, the wrench must be suitable for ratcheting through the use of quick opposite direction torque movements so that valve stems and cap covers may be removed from the fire hydrant when limited clearances are available. The present invention envisions a notch suitable for coupling with water meter valves. This notch must be located in an end of the lever suitable for penetrating below ground level and into the box containing the water meter valve. The present invention also envisions the use of a spanner element suitable for operating on fire hose couplers.